What Our Troops Miss Most About America

Think about the last time you admired the lush greenery in your front yard, or even the last time you touched a piece of grass. Recall your most recent trip to your favorite ice cream shop to help cool off on a sweltering day, or the last time you hugged your mother. Now imagine your life without it.

We often take these simple, everyday activities for granted. But minor as they seem, the absence of these "small" things resonates quite loudly for the American soldiers stationed around the globe. The men and women who put their lives on the line to defend the country have made sacrifices to do so.

Allison Paganetti, a first lieutenant stationed in Baghdad, explains, "Little luxuries like a hot bath and wearing makeup and clothes other than a uniform are slowly climbing up my list of priorities." Paganetti was 2005's Miss Rhode Island and competed in the same year's Miss USA pageant. A career in the military is an unexpected route for a beauty queen, but she knew it was the right choice.

"I originally decided to join the service for many reasons," she says in an e-mail. "I wanted a career that would force me to mature and stand on my own two feet. With two grandfathers that were in the service and Sept. 11 happening during my senior year of high school, the decision was an easy one to make."

Paganetti graduated from the University of Rhode Island and the school's ROTC program in 2006.

Americans sent abroad to Iraq are not only faced with a daunting and dangerous task, but with a country completely foreign to them, making the situation even more intimidating and lonely. Support from their family and friends back home is what helps them get through.

As it crafts care packages, Operation Shoebox keeps these sentiments in mind. Volunteers based in Belleview, Fla., pack items like toiletries and junk food in hand-sewn bags. A white star, like those on an American flag, is often the centerpiece of these deliveries. On the back of each star is a note reminding soldiers overseas that they haven't been forgotten.

"This is the piece of home that we send to the troops," says Mary Harper, the organization's president and founder. Harper has two sons serving in Iraq.

Many soldiers carry around these flag fragments every day. Based on the thank-you notes that Operation Shoebox receives, Harper says, the soldiers appreciate these scraps of fabric more than deodorant, Pop-Tarts or decks of cards. America, it seems, is never far from the troops' minds.

"While I was overseas, all the support and donations that people would send was amazing," says Staff Sgt. Daniel T. Skilton, who's stationed in Qatar. He recalls a donation from a friend of his grandmother. "It randomly came to me, without her knowing it would. We made the connection when I wrote her a thank you letter and she recognized my last name."

From family and friends to sex and alcohol, the men and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan find themselves missing every part of their lives back home. Many spend days remembering their favorite things about their hometowns--Chicago style pizza, quahogs or the local eateries. Some, of course, find it easier to just avoid thinking about these things--otherwise they miss home even more.

"The first actions upon arriving back into the United States are something that every soldier fantasizes about," explains Paganetti, "and it changes daily. I dream of a good meal accompanied by a few cocktails and a long night's rest."

But once they get home, they may still find they're missing something. "When I got home, things felt slower, less important compared to things over there," says Skilton. "Now I think about the little things and compare them to the life and situations I experienced over there. Putting it in perspective, the little things don't seem to matter as much. Just like I missed the relationships when I was there, I now miss the relationships that I formed with people in my unit. It's hard to stay in touch with them since they're from all parts of the world."

Relationships--developed both at home and abroad--are what keep the soldiers going. Paganetti is simply overwhelmed with the emotions she feels for all of the people who have supported her from day one. "When I arrive back in Rhode Island, I am going to track down every one of my friends, hug them and personally thank them for everything they have done for me during this tour."